Web Talk

This huge title (I couldn’t find one shorter notwithstanding all my attempts) wants to explain something quite easy. In Windows Vista and Windows XP, if you try to open a lot of windows belonging to the same application, the system will tend to group them together under the same button located in the taskbar. This will free a considerably amount of space in the taskbar itself in order to show other used applications. If you don’t know what I am talking about, just right-click on the taskbar, select Properties and tick the checkbox Group Similar Taskbar Buttons. From now on, if you open a lot of windows belonging to, let’s say your favorite browser for example, Windows Vista will group them into a button. Anyway, if you want to change this behaviour and force  Windows to group  the windows on the desktop when they reach whatever number you wish, here is a very handy hack.

1. Click Start.
2. In the Search box, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Locate the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. In the right pane, , right-click and create a new DWORD key and mame it TaskbarGroupSize
5. Double click on the key you just created and give it whatever value you want. This means that if, for example, you assign  the value the number 4, as soon as the open windows on your desktop reach this number they will be grouped into one button in the taskbar.
6. Restart your computer for the change to take effect.